Cryogenic Oscillating Heat Pipes

In response to NASA SBIR Topic S16.07, ThermAvant Technologies, LLC proposes to develop high conductance cryogenic oscillating heat pipes for space applications. Working fluids will be investigated at temperatures between 77 K and 230 K. The oscillating heat pipes will be developed in a range of geometries to demonstrate high effective thermal conductivities in complex 3D geometries and small form factors, and demonstrate ambient storage conditions. Specifically, ThermAvant aims to develop oscillating heat pipes that can handle heat fluxes up to and above 5 W/cm2 with power levels up to 100 W over distances of up to 1 m.

The high conductance cryogenic oscillating heat pipes have many applications where rigid connections must be made, such as the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE), L’Ralph Instrument on the Lucy space probe and Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT), Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx), the Lunar Flashlight, and Thermal InfraRed Sensor (TIRS-2).

The high conductance cryogenic heat spreader has many commercial applications including superconducting systems, cryocooler heat transfer devices, quantum computing, maglev systems, MRI machines.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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